An Indiana state trooper asked a motorist if she accepted Jesus as her savior when he pulled her over for a traffic violation, according to a lawsuit filed by the woman.
Ellen Bogan claims that State Police Trooper Brian Hamilton gave her a warning ticket and then proceeded to quiz her on her faith, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Hamilton asked Bogan if she had a church and “if she had accepted Jesus Christ as her savior,” according to her complaint. He also gave her a pamphlet that asked her “to acknowledge that she is a sinner.”
“It’s completely out of line and it just — it took me aback,” Bogan told the Indianapolis Star
Bogan and the American Civil Liberties Union sued Hamilton for violating Bogan’s First and Fourth Amendment rights.
“I’m not affiliated with any church. I don’t go to church,” Bogan said. “I felt compelled to say I did, just because I had a state trooper standing at the passenger-side window. It was just weird.”
The pamphlet also included an advertisement for the “Policing for Jesus Ministries” radio show by “Trooper Dan Jones.”
I wonder if he told her that she was on the highway to hell. He doesn’t sound Catholic as there was apparently no attempt to sell indulgences. The guy should receive appropriate discipline and the state police should make sure no one else is doing this.
This is scary stuff. In the article the woman said she felt compelled to say she went to church because she was afraid. I wonder if she’ll be arrested for lying to a police officer.
It is none of the policeman’s business what anyone’s religion or lack thereof is.
How many misspellings were in the pamphlet?
The policeman’s lawyer said the fact that a cop does a religious radio show is a “fuzzy area” of the law. I say no, it’s not fuzzy at al. The government (and a cop is very much an arm of the government since they enforce laws) cannot establish a religion or coerce anyone into acceptance of such. Under our system it is supposed to be a completely private matter and the government should butt out. I hope the lady wins her suit.